Hi Jan, Thought this may be of interest to you and others. Below is a copy of some recent correspondence from an ANDERSON cousin. Our ggg grandparents: ANDREW ANDERSON & NANCY HARRELL ANDERSON are buried at Oak Grove Cemetary & also had land in the 1840's just across from it. My husband & I found the cemetary & their graves this past summer. Sorry, I don't know more about the history. Nancy Elam-Kelly Hi Mary, >I have particular interest in this area since my 4th great grandfather, >owned the original acreage having purchased it in 1829. He was John >Griffith of Warren co Tn and Burke co NC. Shelby history lists the death of >his son Joseph as probably the first death in the township and we feel he >was buried on Johns property. As others in the settlement succumbed to the >hardships of the pioneer life in the small settlement more than likely John >donated the land his son was buried on to be used for the community as well. >In fact family "lore" said he did. The only record of a "Griffith Grave yard >" was recorded in the History of Shelby co in the Church section. Giving the >grave yard as a land mark which indicated the location where the meeting >was held in 1868 to discuss the plans to build Oak Grove church. It said >that "the meeting was held in the woods near Griffith graveyard 3 and 1/2 >miles south east of Shelbyville, in the location where in the old days a >log school house stood." This log school house was built in 1830. It was the >first school house built east of the Okaw. I suppose in 1868 that seemed >like the old days to them) and the first teacher was Daniel Green. The >Greens lived in the same area and are my family too. John Fleming was a >neighbor and close friend to my Greens and Griffiths. Who also located to >Fayette with them for a time. >If you have any information you have run across in your search of your >family on the Greens and the Griffiths the Jennings, Martins, or Millers, , >I would appreciate it too. >I know personally that John Griffith, Abraham Griffith, and many others ar e >buried in that cemetery which after the church was built became known as Oak >Grove. John and his family were long gone and moved from the area and Edwin >or Edward Martin gave the Deed to the property for the church. He could very >well have been a descendent of Johns wife Margaret who we think was a >Martin, no proof yet nor do we have record of just when the property changed >hands from the Griffiths to the Martins. At the current time the oldest >stone left standing in the cemetery is that of Felix Green who was buried >1843 and his son Jesse and his brother William Green and wife Annis Fortner >Green. >I have an account that states the location of the chapel as having stood >just north west of the two roads as you approach the cemetery. The cemetery >was to the west of the chapel. Sunday socials and events for the settlement >were often held at Oak Grove church and it housed over the years several >different denominations including Presbyterian and Baptist. all that is left >is the cemetery and the records lost of those buried there and the old >stones have long since crumbled. >That is all I know wish I knew more. > Keep in touch , we could be kin.!! >Janice Havlik > >From: "Janice Havlik" <[email protected]> >Reply-To: [email protected] >To: [email protected] >Subject: [ILSHELBY] Oak Grove Church >Date: Sun, 11 Nov 2001 15:53:39 -0800 > >I am interested to find anyone having history on the Oak Grove Church late >1800's in Shelbyville twp. >thanks >Jan > _________________________________________________________________ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp